Continuing studies of spore coat assembly in B. cereus will involve kinetics and stoichiometry of processing of the 65,000 dalton precursor, origin of a predominant 26,000 dalton coat protein and function of minor coat protein species. The latter may include a unique serine protease extractable from spore coats. Similar studies will be done with B. subtilis to attempt to understand the origin and function of the diverse group of coat polypeptides. Presumptive coat defective mutants will be analyzed for the basis of the defect and location of the mutation on the genetic map. We shall also continue to analyze the function of glutamine synthetase in B. subtilis and attempt to isolate sporulation defective mutants altered in glutamine metabolism. The spore coat protein and crystal inclusion are being studied in B. thuringiensis strains and in crystal and coat deficient mutants. A further definition of the interrelationship of crystal production, spore coat formation and germination response will be sought.